Vegetarian mains
Soused winter veg with salmoriglio
Cooking vegetables in a pickling liquor really accentuates the flavour as it seasons them throughout. It’s a delicate balance between sweet, sour and salty that really brings a new life to these familiar winter ingredients.
Salmoriglio is a punchy, herby dressing, but chimichurri or salsa verde would also work very well.
This simple, colourful side dish would be perfect for a dinner party or family gathering.
Ingredients
For the salmoriglio
- 30g fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 15g dried oregano
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp warm water
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the cooking liquor
- 50g caster sugar
- 50g salt
- 400ml white wine vinegar
- 1.5l water
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 peppercorns
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
Winter veg
- 250g carrots, washed & cut in half lengthways
- 250g parsnips, peeled & cut into quarters lengthways
- 150g beetroots, thoroughly washed
- 150g cauliflower florets
Method
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Step 1
Start by preparing the salmoriglio: In a bowl, slowly whisk together the herbs, grated garlic, lemon juice and water. Drizzle in the oil, mixing as you go. Cover and leave out at room temperature.
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Step 2
Next make your pickling liquor: Dissolve the sugar and salt in the vinegar and water over a low heat. Add the bay leaf, peppercorns and cumin seeds and mix.
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Step 3
Place the whole beetroots in the cooking liquor and turn the heat up to a rolling boil. After 25mins, add the carrots and parsnips. After a further 6 minutes, add the cauliflower florets and cook for a further 5 mins or so. Note, the beetroot stain the other vegetables. If you want to avoid this, cook in separate pans.
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Step 4
Remove from the heat, drain and run under cold water to stop the vegetables from over-cooking. Peel the beetroots and cut into quarters.
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Step 5
Heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Dry the vegetables and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Grill the vegetables for roughly 3-4 minutes per side, make sure you allow them to develop deep char marks.
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Step 6
Serve scattered on a plate with dollops of the salmoriglio over the top, or mix in a bowl to coat them then plate up.